(by Stefania Fumo).
The executive body of Premier
Matteo Renzi's center-left Democratic Party (PD) on Monday
approved the government's proposed 'Italicum' electoral reform
bill as it stands after a Lower House reading.
A dissenting minority did not take part in the vote, which
was otherwise unanimous. The Italicum now returns to the Senate
for its third reading.
The meeting had kicked off amid calls from dissenters to
boycott in protest against what they say are Renzi's
authoritarian tactics.
"I will reintroduce the need to seek mediation (in order
to) make changes to the electoral bill," said Lower House PD
whip Roberto Speranza.
Rebel MP Pippo Civati earlier in the day called on fellow
dissenters not to attend, saying the executive's vote has been
transformed into "a plebiscite and an ultimatum".
Former party leader Pier Luigi Bersani - a veteran
politician who handed the party leadership over to 40-year-old
Renzi 15 months ago - said he would show up at the meeting "as
soon as I can", adding he hoped Renzi wouldn't be issuing any
ultimatums forcing dissenters to toe the party line.
"The party secretary's job is to try to synthesize
(different positions)," Bersani said, adding that Renzi's
proposed reform will create "a type of presidentialism with no
counter-balances, a highway for plebiscitary and populist
impulses".
Also absent was another staunch Renzi critic, former
premier Massimo D'Alema, who pled pre-existing commitments.
The hotly contested bill would replace the system that
contributed to the inconclusive outcome to the 2013 general
election, and was subsequently declared unconstitutional.
The Italicum is the result of a deal between Renzi and
former center-right premier Silvio Berlusconi, a fact which has
produced growing discomfort within the ranks of both leaders'
parties since it was first announced early in 2013.
It would among other provisions award bonus seats to the
party that garners at least 40% of the vote to ensure it has a
working majority in parliament.
In remarks to the executive body, Renzi denied the bill
would stop voters choosing their MPs. Of the 340 MPs, 100 or 28%
would be nominated by the party in safe seats and 240, or 71%,
would emerge from voter preferences on party lists, he said.
He called on the executive committee to vote for his bill
because "it is a decisive tool for the quality and action of the
governments to come and...the dignity of this government".
"There is a minority within the PD that says 'either we do
things this way or we'll hold a secret vote'," Renzi said. "I
won't even take this kind of blackmail into consideration".
Dissidents Gianni Cuperlo and Stefano Fassina declined to
take part in the vote.
Cuperlo said if the issue was so "decisive" Renzi should
have made an effort to reconcile differences, and Fassina
accused Renzi loyalists of conformism "similar to that within
the North Korean Communist Party".
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